The present disclosure relates to an additively manufactured airflow mask, and more particularly, to an airflow mask for a component having an array of internal passageways to test airflow therethrough.
Gas turbine engines, such as those that power modern commercial and military aircraft, generally include a compressor section to pressurize an airflow, a combustor section to burn hydrocarbon fuel in the presence of the pressurized air, and a turbine section to extract energy from the resultant combustion gases.
Gas path components, such as turbine blades and vanes, often include an array of internal cooling passageways to provide cooling such as external film cooling, internal air impingement, and forced convection, either separately, or in combination. The flow paths of the array of internal passageways are typically sampled and tested during production. In some tests, the airflow is tested while exits are drilled, known as in-process, to confirm that the hole drill process is within specification. The airflow requirements, may be average airflows between in-process and final airflow. Due to the complexity of the array of internal cooling passageways, and the number of flow paths thereof, external masking is typically utilized during testing to mask particular flow paths of the array of internal cooling passageways.
Currently a manual masking method is utilized to mask particular exits of the array of internal cooling passageways. A removable material such as wax is used to block exits which are not a part of the flow path which is to be tested. This wax then needs to be washed or burned out to then proceed to the next airflow test. The time required for this masking and removing of masking takes, on average, 30-60 minutes per flow path. The increasing complexity of components currently in development will only increase the time required for masking.